Upgrade Those Frozen Waffles By Turning Them Into An Entirely New Breakfast

There's nothing better than starting the morning with waffles, whether you're someone who likes to pop a batch in a waffle iron or pull up to Waffle House, the Southern diner beloved by Anthony Bourdain. Frozen waffles take a bit of love to hit a similar taste as their freshly-baked counterparts, but that doesn't mean they're not worth it. Upgrade your frozen waffles by turning them into another comforting breakfast classic — French toast.

Frozen waffles make for a delicious spin on French toast, and all you need are basic household ingredients to make it work. At base, French toast is just bread soaked in milk and eggs and then cooked, so you can easily swap in frozen waffles here. Since they will need to sit in the egg and milk bath first, for this trick you'll need to ditch the toaster to cook frozen waffles and heat them on the stove instead. Plus, heating the waffles in a skillet with some grease will infuse flavor and help them retain moisture. The best part? This is a one-bowl, one-pan breakfast hack.

Frozen waffles made with strawberries, chocolate chips, or blueberries are fantastic choices for the French toast hack, as they add an extra depth of flavor. French toast gets its sweetness from the vanilla extract in the custard, and fruit is a natural fit. A squeeze of orange juice or bourbon and a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg in the custard brings the whole picture together.

To begin with, you'll need to thaw the frozen waffles and let them cool for a minute before putting them in the custard. If the waffles are too hot, they'll start heating the eggs, creating an odd texture. The waffles should soak in a cold custard bath. Eggs (or any similar alternative) are a must, but there's a bit of wiggle room with the type of dairy you choose. Milk, half-and-half, heavy whipping cream, or some mix of these will help to create a fluffy French toast texture with their fat content. Coconut milk is one of the fattiest dairy-free varieties, and it can provide a pleasant flavor in the custard.

The battered frozen waffles will cook best by using a well-oiled skillet or griddle, which is the secret to Martha Stewart's French toast as well. Coating the bottom of a skillet in oil and frying the waffles for a couple of minutes on each side allows the interior and exterior to achieve a thorough cook. If you're working up a big appetite with those little waffles, you can fry chicken in the oil beforehand and reuse it for the French toast waffles to give them a savory edge (plus, you'll have a fried chicken and waffle-turned French toast sandwich). These aren't your average Eggos — when these French toast waffles are done cooking, nobody will be able to tell they were frozen in the first place.